How to Build a Brand That Gets Better as It Gets Bigger with Eric Knott (Tiki Taco)

Growth creates opportunity. It can also create distance from your customers, your team, and the equities that made your brand better and different than the competition in the first place. Eric Knott knows how quickly that can happen. After starting his restaurant career with Outback Steakhouse, he found his sweet spot in emerging brands. Today, as CEO of Tiki Taco, he’s applying what he learned from bigger brands while protecting the advantages of being small. As Tiki Taco grows, Eric shares how the team is building for what comes next—from intentionally pausing between waves of expansion to using customer data, real-time feedback, and AI to make better decisions without losing the human side of hospitality. In this episode, you’ll learn: ✨Why Tiki Taco plans to pause after reaching 10 locations, strengthen, and grow again ✨How an unannounced opening helps teams learn in real-world conditions before the crowds ✨Why you should use customer journeys to personalize communication for repeat business ✨How to use technology and AI to eliminate low-value work and where to redirect the effort ✨Why the best ideas should come from your frontline teams who are closest to your customers Eric’s Creative Inspiration Book: The Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni Brand: Apple and Jordan Beverage: Hendrick’s and soda with lime Songs: “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin and “Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G.